Curtain stretcher



g 6 L. N. BouRDEAu CURTAIN STRETCHER n 2 Sheets-Sheet' 2 Original Filed Dec. 5, 1923 lllllllllll im BY U ATTORNEY.

Patented ug. 16, 1927.

Appneaticima December 3,-192r', serial No'. s'iega'zil." neiieweanovenitefiz, 1926".rv

Myin'rentioir has reference to curtain stretche'rs, 'and has 'for its chietI purp'osetoi with the curtains linextended position be-v tween the saine.

Another `purpose of the I inventionis to" provide supporting ineans for the curtain" is rods; capable of adjustment, to first properly space such rods7 and to neXt give the desired" b held from closing afrainst' saine" by. braces" tension" to the curtains,l in 'which supports the rods can be held Vin vsuitable spaced rela" tions, sothat' thev curtainsinay be held ata stretching and drying operation.

Another purpose of theinvention is "the" provision of means tor engagement *With the' side ledges of the curtainsvh'ch 'are inpos` tion 1in'the'1nach1ne`, 1n"cass Where sucll edgesv requirestraightening.-

advantages of' the invention Will morev IfullyA appear from the folloWing specicat'onf vieiv 'ofthe'arm 24.

clips '112, detached.

Fig is a detail, showing a 'combination attachnn-eirc,V embracing la clothes supporting' ff l and provided with inner curvedfaces'whi'ch bea'r against the edges of said I 'side-pieces.Y vWhen thek arfns 24 are in a substantially horifzontal positionsaid blocks"tightlyengage .':thev side piecesf and hold '-*'the"' arinsfroi'n 'downwardmovement, but by elevatingthe "outer endsro"thef'arnrsslightly thevblo'cks'" device.

The' niain frame oit upper 'ends' by 2a pair of 'braces' l3 'and' 4, pivoted' to said'side-*pieces attheir'lends and united ata central point byY a bolt "5, fitted 5e I withV a thuniblturn 6. The'lowerjends'of the side-pieces are similarly united by bracesv 7 and 8, pivoted'lat their outer endsto said side 'pieces7 and united' byk a 'bolt 9, 'proi' Vided"Wit-h a thumb-'nut'l 'VVhenth'ef thumbenuts and 10 .are 'tightened' a prac-f desired distance "fron'l' eao'h other; in the 120 .In the spaces between the' uprightsl'fand Fig?? is a perspective VieW'of one of the l A i thedevice consists off a pair of side pieces 1 and 2, united at 4their 'tically rigid. rectangular frame is'forlned" and upon loosening lsuch nuts', "the upper" brace'scanfbe folded' downwardly',` and the lowerY braces u}wardly',-. bringing the side'- l pieces into posi ion adj acent' to one' 'another' Vhn/i'n open position the frame' is' furtherv l1heldfronr'collapsingby a brace 11, pivoted at one end to the'sidepiece '2f1an`d'deta'ch-- ably connected with the bracei, and a', brace 12, Jpivoted''to'ithe side-piece 1, .and detach# ably .secured to thebra'c'e 7. Upon being dei tachedv thebraces' 11i and12"can be "folded against th'e respective vside-pieces. The side-pieces 1 and 2 are supported: in'

a verticaltpo'sition' 'by means of f`eet'13,.piV-' loted to the sideepieces attheii rear ends, and

1L1,piifotedV to the Tside-pieces at theirupper" ends, and detachably connected with thel feet 13 attheir lower ends. Vhen bit is desired to store the zdevice, vthe' braces v`14Tcan beV ldisconnected froinfthey feet',y and folded up# 'Wardly ragainst the side-pieces; and'thefeet len-ds of which are connected withvx thz'ybraces` 14 by means of: bolts 17 provide'don their'" outerr ends :With thumb-nuts '18,' and spaced'- apart from the side-pieces 1 .andQ are similar upri'o'lrts 19,l connectedv tlierewith'by bolts" 'tted on their ends Withthumb-nutsl.

16, and the uprghtsflt) and thewsidepeces. 1 and 2, are bars 22,` provided intheir lower edges `with spaced notches '23. 'Byopierati'o'n' of the thumb-'nuts 18 and'21'the 'outer'posts the ends of thebars 22,to .hold them'securely in` horizontal position; Secured 'to` the side-pieces 1 and i2, near'l the''upper'ends" thereof,are arlnsQ/, 'held in' adjustable osi'- tions on Vsaid:side-lfpieces by `Ineansof b 'ocks 25 and 26, fixed'to the ends ofsai'fil arms,"

loc v tahre'leasey by 'means of bars 27,` pivoted toVA theblocks* as atia, 'and secured 'at their opposite ends by bolts 28 in the blocks 26.k When it is Ydesired to pack the parts of the frame together, the arms 24 can be 'disconnected, and placed against the main frame.

The arms 24 are provided with openings 29, corresponding in number with the notches in the bars 22, and in vertical alignnient therewith. Said openings are adapted to receive and hold rods 31, for the sup- IE port of a curtain, as indicated at 32, the

rod being extended through the hem in the end of such curtain. A similar rod 33 is inserted in the hem in the opposite end of the curtain, and is held at its ends in two of i the notches 23 which are in register with each other. While in this position the curtain is thoroughly dried, under a desired amount of tension.

In positioningl the curtain, the upper rod l is first placed in the openings 29, and the arms 24 raised or lowered until the rod 33 can be easily engaged with the bars 22. The nuts 18 and 21 are then loosened and the bars 22 forced downwardly until the re-.

quisite amount of tension is given to the curtain, whereupon the nuts are again tightened, holding the cui-tain in its stretched position. Two or more curtains can thus be supported in the frame at the same time,

' with sufficient space between the same for a satisfactory circulation of the air, and to prevent the curtains from being in contact with each other. In removing the curtains Y the above operation is reversed.

fil

The side-pieces of the frame are of sufiicient height to support curtains of any length, andpersons of shorter stature can easily place the same in position by lowering the arms 24 to any desired extent on the side pieces, placing the supporting rods in position in said arms, and moving them again upwardly to their usual position.

In the majority'of cases, in supporting the curtains at the ends, the sides thereof will remain straight, but in some -cases it is necessary to make use `of auxiliary means of one of the strips. If it is desired to give a lateral tension to the curtain this can be accomplished by connecting the strips with vertical bars 38,V by means of small chains 39, attached at intervals to the clamp-V ing members, and detachably connected with said bars. The bars 38 are held at their upper ends in one of a series of notches in arms 40, supported horizontally from the upper ends of the side-pieces 1 and 2, and at their lower ends in registering notches in pieces 41 attached to the lower ends of the 'i uprights 16 and 19. The clamping members on the edges of two or more adjacent curtains can be supported from one of the bars 33, if desired. By proper adjustment of the chains 39 on the bars 38 the curtains can beV drawn into a taut condition, laterally, andf'rthe edges of said curtains held in such manner as to insure their being perfectly straight upon being removed from the frame.

In place of the arms 40, clips 42 can be attached to the arms 24, said clips having outward extensions 43, containing recesses 44 to receive the bar 38.

At 45 is shown an auxiliary arm, adapted i for `support on the side-pieces, similarly to the arms 24, and provided with a *series of openings 46. This can be used for holding the ends of rods which are employed in the support of relatively shorter curtains, it being possible to stretch both long and short curtainsin the frame at the same time. In this use, the forward notches 23 in the bar 22 would be employed with corresponding openings l29 inthe arm 24, and the rear notches with the openings in the arm 45. Said arm-45 is capable of vertical adjustment on the side-pieces, similarly tothe arms 24. 1

In Fig. 8 is shown a block 47, also slidable on the side-pieces 1 or 2, and providedk with prongs 48, which can be used for the support of garments or other articles.

Vhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: Y

l. A device of the class described, comprising a rectangular frame, provided with spaced apart side-pieces, connected by foldable braces; rod-supporting arms slidably adjustable on said side-pieces; clamping frames at one end of said side-pieces; and rod-holding bars, secured in said clamping frames, and capable of a limited adjustment therein, with relation to said arms.

2. A device of the class described, coniprising a rectangular frame, formed-of a pair of spaced-apart side-pieces,.connected by foldable braces; f-oldable feet for said side-pieces, and foldable braces therefor;` l

rod supporting arms supported horizontallyV on the upper parts of said side-pieces, and

capable of a sliding adjustment thereon; clamping frames supported on said feet;

and rod-holding bars, secured horizontally in said clamping-frames, so as to be capable of a limited adjustment therein, vertically, and in alignment with said rod-supporting arms.

3. A device ofthe class .described,.com prising a rectangular frame, formed of a pair of spaced-apart side-pieces, connected by foldable braces; rod-supporting arms horizontally supported on the upper ends kof said side-pieces, so as to be'slidably adside-pieces, provided at theirl lower ends' with suitable supporting means; arms supported from the upper parts of said sidepieces, so as to be vertically adjustable thereon, and capable of supporting a plurality of curtain rods; bars supported near the lower ends of said side-pieces, also capable of adjustment vertically, adapted to hold a plurality of curtain rods, in alignment with the first-named rods; clamping-bars adapted for engagement with the edge of a curtain; and means for the support of such clamping-bars at the sides of said frame.

5. A device of the class described, comprising a frame, formed of spaced-apart side pieces, connected by foldable braces, and provided at their lower ends with .suitable supporting means; arms supported horizontally from the upper parts of said side-pieces, so as to be vertically adjustable thereon, and capable of supporting a plurality of curtain-sustaining rods, in spaced relations; bars supported horizontally near the lower ends of said side-pieces, also capable of vertical adjustment, and adapted to hold a plurality of curtain-rods, to cooperate with said first-named rods; bars removably supported in a vertical position at the sides of said side-pieces; and clampingbars connected with said last-named bars, so as to be adjustable with relation thereto, and capable of embracing the edge of a curtain supported in said frame..

6. A device of the class described, comprising a frame, formed of spaced-apart side-pieces, connected by foldable braces, and provided vat their lower ends with foldable supporting members; arms supported horizontally from said side-pieces, and slidably adjustable thereon, said arms being provided with spaced rod-supporting openings; clamping frames at the lower ends of said side-pieces; and horizontal bars held adjustably in said clamping frames, and provided with spaced rod holding openings in alignment vertically with the openings in said arms.

vrIn testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature.

LEON N. BOURDEAU. 

